Some crime fiction work when adapted for the small screen; others are better read

Book fans can be the most unforgiving audiences, especially when their favourite story gets translated into another medium.

- Ong Sor Fern

As an avid reader, I, too, get judgmental about film and television adaptations.

When I stumbled on the Will Trent series (2023 to present) on Disney+ recently, my first thought was that Puerto Rican lead actor Ramon Rodriguez looked nothing like American author Karin Slaughter's character. Rodriguez is Latino and compactly built, and definitely prettier than the lanky blond investigator with the facial scars of the books.

The cast has become more diverse. Will's partner Faith Mitchell, for example, is played by African-American actress Iantha Richardson. The series also drastically changed the character of detective Michael Ormewood, who has gone from corrupt murderer to a more acceptable, if morally challenged, husband who cheats on his wife but is devoted to his kids.

Colour-blind adaptations are not necessarily a bad thing, giving the series an authentic diversity that matches its setting in Atlanta, Georgia. Having read most of the Trent books - up to 12 and with another expected in 2026 - I prefer the series, now into its third season.